


In the Middle of Middle Earth

by yeahrad



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, Play Fighting, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahrad/pseuds/yeahrad
Summary: A little collection of one-shots and stuff, I suppose. All from The Hobbit (maybe Lord of The Rings if I get around to watching those again), probably a good amount of Bofur lol. I’ll add more to the tags as I write about different characters and such. Hope you enjoy, loves :’)
Relationships: Bofur (Tolkien) & Reader, Bofur (Tolkien)/Reader, Bofur (Tolkien)/You, Fíli (Tolkien) & Reader, Fíli (Tolkien) & You, Fíli (Tolkien)/Reader, Fíli (Tolkien)/You, Thorin's Company & Reader, Thorin's Company/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. He Does The Same [Bofur]

**Author's Note:**

> this first one is 100% brought on by Thank You For The Music by ABBA. i’ve been wanting to do a few lil things based on songs and this is the first - perhaps some other ABBA inspired ones to follow - so yeah hope you like it :’)

As everyone finished eating for the night, you sat on a log beside Bilbo. The company was made up of 13 Dwarves, one odd wizard, and you two. The Hobbits. Not that you didn’t love the Dwarves, but it was nice being able to stick with someone you could relate to.

A comfortable silence hung between the two of you as he brushed the dirt off of his coat and you stared off somewhere. Well, perhaps not “somewhere”. At someone, really. A few of the Dwarves had started playing music on their respective instruments now that dinner was done and you watched that specific someone as he danced around. They really were a lively bunch.

As you watched, you crossed one leg over the other, giving you somewhere to prop your elbow. Resting your head on your hand, you fell into a daze, eyes focused on-

“Bofur?”

Startled, you jumped as the verbal silence was broken. You turned to your left to find Balin who had quietly sat on the open space of log beside you. Attempting to regain your composure, you cleared your throat. “I- I beg your pardon?”

“You were watching someone. Bofur, I assume?” he asked, very nonchalantly somehow.

A blush rose to your cheeks. Was he doing this on purpose? Trying to make you flustered? No, Balin wasn’t like that. Right? Maybe he didn’t even realize the embarrassment you were feeling.

However, with all that casualty he had, he may as well have been asking about the weather.

For a moment you stopped to find the right answer. You wouldn’t lie to the kind Dwarf, but you couldn’t very well ‘fess up, could you? Not without your cheeks burning as hot as the fire before you.

He took your stuttering and eventual silence as a clear-cut yes. “I thought so.”

“Well, I, uh, who isn’t watching him? He’s putting on quite the show, after all,” you added with a laugh. You hoped the small attempt at humor would change the direction of the conversation.

It didn’t.

Balin returned your laugh, a sweet chuckle that had grown familiar as time wore on. “So’s Kíli, but your eyes never wandered.”

“Well...” you mumbled. There wasn’t a single other word that you could force out. You felt like a child who had gotten caught sneaking treats.

You forced yourself to look at anything and anyone besides Bofur. If Balin was onto you, who knows who else was beginning to notice. The thought of Bofur himself knowing briefly flashed in your mind, making you shudder. That would be a nightmare.

“He does the same, you know,” Balin mused. He had noticed your now quickly wandering gaze, but decided to leave that alone.

Does the same? The same? You whipped your head in his direction, a bit painfully fast. “Ah...” you muttered as your hand massaged your neck. “You said he... he does the same?”

“Oh, it’s quite the back and forth you two have, lassie,” he nodded. “Your eyes are on him when he’s not lookin’, then his are on you when you’re not lookin’, quite the back and forth indeed.”

A quiet clearing of the throat came from your right, suddenly reminding you that Bilbo was still around. Great, now two people knew you often wistfully stared at Bofur. At least they weren’t Fíli and Kíli. Those boys couldn’t keep their mouths shut if their lives depended on it, and on the journey you were all on that was often the case.

You briefly glanced at Bilbo, finding that the tips of his ears were turning red. Poor soul didn’t feel like he was supposed to be hearing anything that was being said, but he wasn’t going to go sit with the rowdy bunches on the other logs, that was for sure.

A small huff of a laugh escaped you before you turned your eyes onto Bofur again. The little musical number had ended, leaving smiling Dwarves to playfully bow after their performance. “He does the same...” you repeated, mostly to yourself. Perhaps he even _felt_ the same. No, that was a stretch. Maybe he knew you were looking, though you hoped that wasn’t the case, and tried to catch you looking. Perhaps that was why he watched you. Your mind started to slow down, allowing you to think for a moment that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he was just as set on you as you were on him. 

“Why don’t you talk to him, lass? I’m sure he has a few things he’d like to say to you as well,” Balin smiled.

You felt a surge of confidence and stood, never taking your eyes off your beloved Dwarf. “Yes. Yes, I think I will.” The response was a bit absentminded, your focus being on the task at hand and the courage you needed to hold onto if you were going to go through with it.

_**What a joy.** _

Making your way to the other side of the fire, you noticed his signature goofy smile appearing on his face. Proud of his performance, no doubt. His ridiculous smile, his ridiculous hat, this ridiculous Dwarf.

_**What a life.** _

You could love him for a lifetime, you thought. Yeah, you could do it no problem. And what a lifetime that would be.

_**What a chance.** _

As you drew near him, your plan suddenly changed. Without your permission and certainly without warning. But this was your chance and you’d never have this kind of courage again.

”Bofur!”

The ever joyful Dwarf turned as you called his name. His smile grew.

”Ah, lass, what can I do f-“

His sentence was cut short as you pressed your lips to his, a hand on each cheek. You had to stand on your toes, but that was no problem. It wasn’t even a thought.

If you thought Bilbo was flustered before, you should have seen him then. He nearly tried to look away, feeling like this wasn’t the type of thing that should have an audience.

The two princes of mischief disagreed. Of course. Their whistles rang out as you attempted to fill the kiss with every ounce of feeling you had for the silly Dwarf. Not like you noticed, though. And neither did he.

Nearly breathless, you pulled yourself back and smiled. Your adrenaline was still running high, giving you no time to be embarrassed. Lucky for you. Bofur simply stared at you, a dazed look on his face, quite similar to the one you wore earlier that night.

”Thank you for the music, Bofur. Really livened the evening!” you beamed before glancing around. “Well, you lot, I believe I’ll go have a bath now. Hope you don’t miss me too terribly.”

With one last smile to Bofur, you snatched up one of your few changes of clothes and merrily made your way to the body of water near camp, leaving a very stunned Dwarf to watch you disappear. All that could be heard after that were whistles, cheers, and you humming the tune Bofur and the others had been playing earlier.

Once things were settled down a bit, Fíli whistled once more. “Bofur! Bofur! Hand me my fiddle, will you?”

”You’re going to play again?” Kíli asked, scrunching his nose.

”Well, if that’s the thanks this company gets for playing music, I’m going to cash right in!”

While the company laughed somewhere far away from Bofur, or at least that’s how it sounded to him, he was still left in a daze. Staring at the last place he’d seen you. He began coming back to his senses and did the only thing he could think to do. 

“... for ya.”


	2. Of Cheats and Lovers [Fíli]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Fíli often wake up at the crack of dawn to spar. Headstrong and stubborn, neither wants to give up when there’s a standoff. Whether Reader cheats while sparring... depends on who you ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an idea for one small scene and didn’t even decide on using Fíli until later, but I think it suits him. The whole story was written around the one idea I had lol and it’s not even the same as it started in my head. Anyway, since I’ve already written two for Bofur, here’s something about Fíli! I may or may not be planning something about Kíli based on ABBA’s song Angeleyes ;)

“ _Woah!_ ”

Fíli’s sword sliced through the air, inches in front of your chest. The two of you were only play fighting, after finding a clearing near the camp, and you knew he wouldn’t hurt you. Still, though, the man was fierce enough to make your heart race.

A smirk played on his lips. “So, will you be giving up now?” Another slice. “Or later?”

The challenge gave you the energy you needed to swing your sword towards his. “In your dreams, your Majesty! You’ve stumbled upon a fearless warrior. Giving up is _not_ an option!”

He rolled his eyes at the use of such a royal title. The man was a rightful heir to the throne of Erebor, regality coursing through his veins, and yet the formalities of it all were of no interest to him.

“Perhaps, dear y/n, your arrogance will be your downfall.” Every few words were separated by a grunt as he swung at you, causing you to hold your blade defensively as you backed further into the woods.

You spared a glance over your shoulder, making sure your path was clear. Only then did it occur to you that you were **retreating**. Fíli would never allow you to live it down if you didn’t shift to the offense soon. You could only imagine all the names he and his ridiculous brother would begin to call you for such a low effort fight.

“ _My_ arrogance? Oh please, you’ve enough arrogance to last the next few generations of Durin!” A strong swing of your sword emphasized his family name, effectively bringing you back to his level.

From somewhere past the trees you could hear the rest of the company taking bets on who would be the victor of this two-person war. You attempted to make a mental note of all who bet against you, but found it a bit distracting when you had a sword stabbing the air by your side.

Distractions were all too plentiful as you fought the prince. Most distractions coming from the prince himself. The way his braids swung around his face, that playful smile that he couldn’t fight back, the powerful arms that swung his sword. It was all too much. How orcs and goblins weren’t captivated by his beauty as they fought him was beyond you. Perhaps that’s how he beat them.

You were forced out of your thoughts when your swords clanged against each other. The two of you were pressing forward, willing the other to back down and pull back. Fíli was strong, just as any Dwarf, but he felt even stronger in the moment. Your stance faltered for a moment before you staggered your feet, firmly planting one behind the other to support you.

Eyes locked, you both attempted to shove forward every now and then. It seemed you two were the picture of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Neither of you were budging and **someone** had to win. You certainly weren’t both going to lose.

Breathing heavily, you tilted your head. “We’re getting nowhere, Fíli. What if we both back down at the same time?”

“Absolutely not! I’ve nearly tired you out, I’ll be winning this battle any second now.”

You rolled your eyes. He was tiring just as you were. You would never get anywhere if you didn’t mutually fall back. “We will resume our fight after we break from this ridiculous stance. I should hope _one_ of us will be victorious before your uncle calls.”

His eyes narrowed, suspicious of whether or not this ‘mutual’ fallback would truly be mutual. “At the same time? How do I know you’ll do the same? You’ve been known to cheat.”

“Cheat?! Why, that’s absolutely rich coming from you. I’ve never cheated, you simply hate to lose.”

While you were busy defending yourself, once again more focused on defense than offense, Fíli found the strength to send you flying backwards. He and his blade had shoved forward so quickly and roughly that it made you stumble. Caught in a daze, he swung his sword into yours, nearly knocking it from your hands.

Tightening your grip on the hilt, you laughed. You couldn’t let the Dwarf know that you were shaken. “Is that the best you can do? I must say, Fíli, if that’s all you’ve got, I worry for the line of Durin!”

You caught a flicker of anger in his eyes. Though it was quickly replaced with something more playful, much to your relief. Sometimes you forgot how easily offended Dwarves could be, leaving you worried you had stepped much too far over some invisible line.

“Worry about your own family line, my dear, I believe I’m about to bring an end to it!”

Sunlight began filtering through the leaves, gracing the two of you with its warmth. The battle, like many others, had started in the early hours of the morning, long before anyone else had awoken, to ensure a true battle could take place. Once you all started travelling again, you’d be on the move almost all day. And what good is a fight in a dark forest?

Dodging his swing, you stepped to the side. You repeated the action a few times in hopes it would lead to the two of you switching places. Perhaps if you stood where he had been standing your offensive moves would be much more effective. What you hadn’t counted on, however, was that he would catch on and do the very same thing moments later.

A smirk spread across his face. “Think you’re slick, do you? Please, I tire of such an easy battle. Just admit your defeat, y/n darling. I won’t make fun of you. Much. No shame in knowing when you’re beat.” His smart mouth was either what you loved most or what you hated most about him. You couldn’t really be sure. But you loved the challenge it gave you when it came to wit.

He was pushing the fight backwards again. Though, you were growing too exhausted to really care at that point. You could work on your offense and show off with fascinating moves some other time. Perhaps all you needed to do this time was outlast him.

“I simply cannot ‘admit’ defeat, my prince. ‘Admit’ implies that it’s true!” Your swords clashed as you finished your sentence, he moving forward as you took careful steps backward. This time around you were a bit too busy fending him off to check behind you, leading you to back into a tree.

He had you trapped, that was plain to see. There was only one thing left for you to do and you both seemed to be aware of it. With careful, yet quick hands, you held your sword ahead of you, in front of his throat. In that moment, he had done the same. The two of you must really be rubbing off on each other, you thought. Next you’d be saying the same things at the same times. If Thorin wasn’t already annoyed by the two of you, he definitely would be then.

Fíli, cocky as ever, placed a hand beside your head, trapping you further. “Seems we’ve reached another impasse, my dear.”

“Seems so,” you muttered, desperately hoping your cheeks wouldn’t redden.

“I’m willing to call a truce if you are...” He began lowering his blade, his face inching closer. It was as if he was doing anything in his power to make you flustered. You cautiously brought your blade lower. “Is that so?”

His eyes were on your lips, a small “mhm” escaping his own. You had to admit you had been dreaming of such a day as this. You longed for this.

However, this was war.

No time for such things.

With one quick motion, you swiped the prince’s legs, causing him to land harshly on the ground beneath him. As his back hit the forest floor, his sword fell from his hands, tumbling just out of his reach.

You took the opportunity to firmly place a boot atop his chest. “Choose your next words carefully, dear prince! For you are staring in the face of your own demise!”

Glancing down at him, his only response was a smile. Not the sly smile he wore when the two of you battled or teased each other. It was gentle, loving, you thought. There was a hint of pride and adoration in that look. You wished you could see that look every day.

If you had been able to see the way he looked at you when you weren’t looking, you would have seen it every day.

You had been holding your blade proudly, but when met with his silence, you lowered a bit, leaning toward him. “Fíli, say something!” With that, you straightened again, reveling in your victory over the prince.

Any words he said were drowned out by quick, heavy footsteps. You turned your head to see who was approaching. Taking advantage of your distraction, Fíli grabbed your boot and pushed you off of him. Justice had been served. At least in Fíli’s eyes.

The fall landed you flat on your back, just as Fíli’s had. You groaned and pushed yourself to lean on your elbows.

“You did it again! You fought without me!”

The two of you looked up from your places on the ground. Kíli stood there, a frustrated look adorning his face. You both glanced at each other, laughing at the younger prince’s frustration.

“My deepest apologies, brother,” Fíli said, pushing himself to his feet. “Though I doubt you being involved would have been such a good thing.” He held his hand out to you and smiled, “Y/n is known to cheat, after all. Surely she would’ve betrayed you.”

A huff of laughter escaped your lips as you took his hand, rising to stand beside him. “Knowing your brother as I do, Kíli, I’m certain he wouldn’t have accepted defeat. Even if you had won, you would have lost.”

You each placed a hand on a pouting Kíli’s shoulders, making your way back to camp with him. “You two know I enjoy sparring. You always do things without me. He’s _my_ brother, you know. And another thing-“

The younger prince was too caught up in his ramblings to notice the two of you had fallen back for a moment. You quickly grabbed Fíli’s arm, stealing a kiss before Kíli could turn and see. Fíli smiled, the same smile you had seen as he was lying on the ground. “This doesn’t change the fact that you’re a cheat.”

“Oh please! You’re so dramatic.”

If it hadn’t been for the lack of time and the over abundance of Kíli’s complaints, you probably would have begun another battle with the stubborn Dwarf. After about the third disapproving remark, you both rolled your eyes, placing your blades back into their rightful sheaths.

“ _We’re coming!_ ”


End file.
